10 important coronavirus online resources that all home care providers should bookmark

We know how difficult it is to navigate the realms of information circulating about COVID-19. From newspaper headlines to social media messaging, it can be difficult to separate the hard facts and even trickier to navigate the comprehensive guidance documents provided by government officials.

In this article, you’ll find 10 useful online resources for COVID-19, that you can bookmark (save for later online) as a handy reference. Covering everything from where to find the latest news to fact-checking, these links should help you throughout the crisis.

And remember, Birdie has a 24/7 hotline, open to all of our current partner agencies, so if you need a little guidance or help with accessing official guidelines and sources of information, just ask us. We’ll do our best to help you find the answer.

Where to find information about COVID-19?

If you want to know about the medical implications of coronavirus, always start with the NHS website. It has information about recognising symptoms, self-isolation, what to do if you feel unwell and advice for protecting yourself (or others) who are considered at higher risk.

The WHO provides daily coronavirus updates and is a comprehensive source of reliable data. They have also set up a WhatsApp group that you can join by sending the word ‘hi’ to +41 79 893 18 92 using the WhatsApp app. Or, you can click here if you use WhatsApp on your computer. The service is also available in Arabic, French and Spanish - you can find the details here.

The UK Home Care Association is a great resource if you’re looking for collated COVID-19 information, relevant to home care agencies. Their website can be a little heavy, but by becoming a member (with an additional cost) you can access information straight to your inbox.

Sign up for email bulletins from the CQC to receive updates tailored to the home care industry. At present, no CQC inspections are taking place, however, their email updates provide useful information for care providers and they’ll keep you in the loop about when inspections are intended to resume.

Join the Registered Managers Facebook Group to share best practices with other care managers and care workers. Whilst not a verified source of information, mental health is important during the crisis and chatting with like minded others in a similar situation can provide an outlet and a safe space to discuss COVID-19.

Ada’s quick easy self-assessment tool helps you to track coronavirus symptoms and provides advice on what to do next. It’s a US company though, so you’ll have to call 111 or 999 in case of an emergency if the tracker advises you to seek medical help.

The database above gathers all of the false information about COVID-19, from over 100 fact-checkers in 45 countries. You can use it to search if a fact has been checked. This is particularly useful for helping your care staff understand what is true and reassuring clients’ and families.

The John Hopkins Unversity tracker provides counters and real-time statistics for the COVID-19 pandemic. This link provides detailed breakdown of COVID-19 cases and reports by country or location. The JHU website is also a great ressource for medical information.

Creating Google Alerts is a great way to stay informed about current COVID-19 updates, particularly in your area. Why not create Google alerts to get breaking news on coronavirus cases in your city, town or from your local authority? They only take a second to set up, and you can choose how frequently you want to get news.

We hope you find these resources useful. If you have any other resources you’d like to see on this list, leave a comment, or get in touch with us at support@birdie.care.

For more information about coronavirus and how you can deal with the challenge as a home care provider, click here.